Senator Alan Peter Cayetano and several other government officials went to Geneva to defend the Philippine’s drug war and human rights record. Speaking before the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) during its Universal Periodic Review (UPR), Cayetano said that the Duterte administration has a “policy of zero tolerance for abuse of law enforcers.
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“At all times, the Duterte administration seeks to uphold the rule of law. In fact, the president, President Duterte has a zero policy… has a policy of zero tolerance for abuse of law enforcers. This statement and policy of President Duterte is rarely, if at all, shown in Western media.”
You can watch the video below on this United Nations Web TV website, with Cayetano saying the statement above from 10:18 to 10:39.
The UHRC holds the UPR every five years to review the human rights record of every member state.
To prove his claim, Senator Cayetano even showed a video clip of Duterte’s SONA in July 2016 and quoted this particular statement of the president:
“To our police officers and other officials, do your job and you will have the unwavering support of the Office of the President. I will be with you all the way. Abuse your authority, and there will be a hell to pay, for you will have become worse than criminality itself.”
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However, Vera Files’ fact checking turned up several statements from Duterte that contradicted what Cayetano told the UN.
On December 5, 2016, Duterte revealed that he ordered to have Supt. Marvin Marcos reinstated. Marcos is one of the cops who was investigated in the case of the death of Albuera, Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr. in the provincial jail. He, along with other policemen, were indicted for the mayor’s killing.
Duterte refused to reveal the reasons behind his order and said this during the Christmas lightning at Malacañang, (from mark 12:15 to 13:04):
“But do not force me, to criticize me, to force me to believe, ‘yung mga theory at mga assumption even with the witnesses na pinatay ‘yung mayor sa loob ng presuhan. Rather as the head of government and the chief executive, the police is under me. So the PNP Chief is under my supervision and control. I do not have to explain to you, the whole Republic of the Philippines and the critics, why I made the order for him to just sit down and do not remove him.”
He also added that he has “absolute control and supervision” over the PNP in the same speech when he said (from 13:40 to 14:08):
“When there is absolute control and supervision, I can modify, amend, revoke any order in this executive department. Congress and Supreme Court, wala tayong pakialam. But as president, I do not have to give you the rationale or the reason why I ordered your reinstatement right away.”
Later, in the same Christmas tree lightning speech, President Duterte said that he will answer for the cops personally if they “just obey” his orders, from mark 14:51 to 15:55:
“Do your duty, go out and find these criminals, arrest them if possible. But if they offer a violent resistance, and you think that your life is in danger, patayin mo . And that is my order until now. Now, sabi ng pulis, pag-servenila ng warrant, lumaban at binaril nila. Tama. And I believe you, because the police is under the executive branch of the government. Akin. So, sabi ko sa kanila: ‘Do not worry. Magtrabaho lang kayo. Just obey ‘yung order ko na look for them and hunt for them. Sundin lang ninyo at ako ang lahat mananagot. I will answer for it personally.’”
Duterte repeated the same assurance to the police and the military just this March 29 during his speech at the people’s day celebration in Oriental Mindoro (from mark 28:45 to 29:49) when he said:
“Iyan ang order ko. Pag ‘yan ang sinusunod ng pulis, pati military, huwag kayong matakot. Ako, and I alone will be liable for that. They are just obeying my order. So any policeman or military man charged for killing those bastards, they will have my protection. Do not… you can charge them with anything. Mag–exhibitionako, alam mo kung, congressman? They go to court and I said, no more trial, plead guilty. Guilty. Sabihin, ‘dalhin mo doon sa judge, pardon, absolute.’”
After his participation in the UPR, Cayetano told the media in Phnom Penh, Cambodia during the World Economic Forum (WEF) for ASEAN that he only presented facts in Geneva.
“I’m willing to resign, to be jailed, to be exiled if mali ‘yung prinesent ko or at the very least I intentionally misled anyone. Lahat ng prinesent ko is based on fact, based on actual numbers.”
Sources: ( verafiles.org , cnnphilippines.com )
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